Wind-and-Snow Speech

Snow fell thickly.

At first, the snowflakes melted as soon as they touched the ground. Even after several days of steadily dropping temperatures, Imperial Capital City was still nowhere near cold enough for snow to accumulate.

But as the snowfall grew heavier and the temperature continued to fall, the snow finally froze before it could turn into muddy slush, becoming murky, dull ice crystals.

Then the clean white snowflakes that continued to fall covered the filth once more, and Imperial Capital City seemed to grow peaceful and serene.

The next morning, when Lux had finished all her preparations and was about to begin this year's Winter Speech, Grand Plaza had already been completely blanketed in white. As far as the eye could see, mountains danced like silver serpents and plains galloped with waxen elephants, while the enormous statues in Grand Plaza had all donned heavy white shawls.

Even so, Grand Plaza quickly filled with listeners after sunrise. Though the heavy snow had yet to stop completely, people stepped onto the slick ground and took their places one after another.

Although coming through the snow to hear the Winter Speech was indeed a novel experience that Demacians had never had before, giving a Winter Speech amid wind and snow was actually a traditional event for Lux in Freljord. When she had still been Freljord's lord, the annual Spring Speech and Winter Speech had always taken place during the seasons most prone to snow. Although she had done her best to avoid giving speeches on snowy days, the weather in the north clearly did not care to cooperate.

Thus, both Lux herself and the clerks maintaining order were quite accustomed to this sort of snowy environment. They also had contingency plans that had been tested in practice. Even though the people of